It's a Family Thing
by authorjazmyne
Summary: Hobbs/Raydor plus the kids being a family. (Just read it?)


**Pairing:** Hobbs/Raydor

 **A/N:** Today I challenged myself to take an unfinished fic from this year and complete it. Of course I chose one that only had a few paragraphs to it and know explanation for what I was planning to make of it. But, I still managed to give it an ending somehow. So... Happy New Year! (almost)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

. . .

"Would one of you please make sure the sunblock actually makes it into our luggage this time," Andrea called out from the bathroom. A cabinet door was shut loudly afterwards, and then the sound of her rummaging through a drawer could be heard seconds later. "We don't need a repeat of what happened in San Antonio."

"On it," Rusty replied speedily, sprinting from his room. His loud footfalls caught his mother's attention and she craned her neck as he moved past her opened door in a blur of plaid and denim.

Sharon fought the instinct to tell him to be careful. He was twenty-one years old and liked to remind Sharon of that; he didn't need to be told about the dangers of running in the house. They'd never had that together, and yet Sharon still had the urge from time to time to protect him from slippery floors and sharp edges like she had done when her other two children were young.

"There should be three bottles in the toiletries bag," Sharon said from inside the bedroom she and Andrea shared. She was searching the closet for a shopping bag she had hidden away. The items she'd picked out from the boutique that sold her favorite lingerie earlier in the week were meant to be a surprise for Andrea, and so she had stashed them away in her closet so Andrea wouldn't see her purchases until she was wearing them.

"Three. Don't you think that's a bit much? I mean, we're going away for less than two weeks. We're not moving there."

"There's five of us. With the way Sharon's skin reacts to the sun, she'll probably need all three of them for herself," Andrea said dryly.

Rusty chuckled quietly. "Yeah. Maybe you have a point."

"I usually do." Andrea's voice grew louder, and Sharon realized she was coming back through the door that connected to the bathroom. "Hopefully the other two remembered to pack some as well. Which reminds me," she said, walking behind Sharon and placing a hand on the small of her back for a second before leaving the room again. "Emily called again before boarding. She left half of her laptop charger at her apartment, so I told her I'd bring a charger for her since I still have mine from my old laptop."

Sharon hummed in acknowledgment, but her attention was more focused on what she was doing for the moment. While she was alone in the room, she quickly moved to the opened suitcase that was on her side of the bed and carefully made a space in the middle of her neatly packed clothing. The bag crinkled loudly as she squeezed it into the space and then covered it with a few shirts, but it wasn't loud enough to be heard over the conversation Andrea and Rusty were having nor the sound of the music pouring from speakers in the living room that filled the apartment as they got their luggage ready. Just to be sure, Sharon glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was still alone. Confirming that she was, she turned back to her suitcase, zipped it, and then secured it with a lock.

Sharon rolled the large suitcase out to the living room, raising her eyebrow when she saw Rusty and Andrea sitting on the floor with an empty carry-on sized bag, surrounded by a sea of bathroom items that had previously been inside of said bag. Andrea was reading off from a checklist, her blonde hair in a messy ponytail and Sharon's glasses sitting low on the bridge of her nose. Rusty was locating the items she called out and packing them, half of a bitten sandwich on a plate beside him. It was a sight that warmed Sharon's chest instantly, her lips curling into a full smile. As if knowing they were being watched, both Andrea and Rusty paused and looked her way with questioning eyes.

Sharon parked her suitcase beside Andrea's and held her hands palm up. "Don't let me stop the flow you two have going on here. Please, continue."

Rusty turned back around, but Andrea continued looking at her. Her eyebrow lifted, her head tilting. Sharon shook her head to answer the silent question, and then Andrea smiled at her and went back to what she was doing.

"Make sure that's the one for sensitive skin. The other one made you breakout when you tried it," Andrea said, eyes moving from the notebook on her lap to Rusty.

"Yes, Mom," Rusty drawled with a roll of his eyes as he looked at the labels on lotion bottles.

Andrea threw a pen cap at him, and Rusty swatted it back her way before it could hit his chest. They both laughed quietly, moving on to the next item on Andrea's detailed checklist.

Sharon watched them silently for a few minutes, leaning against the edge of her desk with her legs crossed at the ankles. She was waiting for Ricky to send a text message to let him know when he would be arriving at the apartment. He was driving down, and then the four of them were going to the airport together in the morning. It was close to one in the morning, and Sharon wanted them all to get a few hours of sleep before they left. Their flight was scheduled to depart at 10 am, so Andrea wanted them out of the condo by 7:45 to take on Thursday morning traffic.

Sharon rolled her head from side to side, yawning behind a slender hand. The past week had been a busy one with making sure all their travel plans were in order while also working a triple homicide. She could definitely use the break she was finally taking. She had spoken to Lieutenant Provenza before leaving the office earlier and was reminded that they didn't need her checking in on them while she was supposed to be enjoying Hawaii with her family. Sharon could easily see behind his nonchalance, see the sincerity in his eyes that made her smile at her lieutenant because that was his way of telling her to have a good time and relax for once – and of course, because he was Provenza, he was serious about not needing to be checked on.

Looking at Andrea and Rusty finish up, Sharon knew without a doubt that the next week and half was going to be extraordinary and unforgettable. It was going to be her first vacation where all three of her children were present, as well as her first family vacation including Andrea. Last year there had been the first Christmas and their road trip with just Andrea and Rusty that he had somehow talked them into for an extended weekend, but this vacation meant a little more to Sharon. It was making Rusty and Andrea a part of a family tradition that had previously just been between her and Ricky and Emily. It was reminding Rusty that he was one of them, and it was inviting Andrea to take a permanent place in all of their lives.

Sharon was certainly looking forward to the next ten days.

. . .

The alarm on Andrea's phone scared her half to death when it woke her from a peaceful dream where she'd been laying in a meadow with a Margaret Atwood novel. A deep groan formed in her throat as she opened her eyes and searched for the source of the outrageously loud noise, the bedroom still completely dark.

"It fell," Sharon mumbled, rolling away from Andrea. "On the floor."

"Great," she grumbled.

Of course it fell. There was no way to simply press snooze and go back to sleep if she had to actually get out of bed to pick up the phone. And if it was not enough that she had to leave the comfort of the soft bed, and the warmth of Sharon's body curled into her own, her knee banged into the night table as she pulled herself out of bed. She bit her lip as stinging pain shot up her leg, her eyes squeezing tight and her fists balled for a second to keep in the scream of pain that was ready to burst out of her throat.

"I hate mornings," she groaned after finally finding her phone, turning off her alarm, and then climbing back into bed. "Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate 'em."

Sharon laughed as she pressed her nose into the dip of Sharon's throat, a hand sliding underneath Andrea's tank top. "Give me a few minutes and I'll make this one start off a little better." She nuzzled Andrea's neck and then turned her head up to kiss the column of her throat, butterfly kisses that felt incredibly gentle as they fluttered up to her chin.

Andrea's frown easily softened, her body regaining the warmth it had lost moments ago. When Sharon slid her palm up her abdomen, Andrea gave a quiet hum of appreciation and arched herself up into the light touch. Her own hand pushed down the sheet that Sharon was still underneath and sought out smooth skin. Sharon cupped Andrea's breast at the same time that Andrea's hand hooked around a lean thigh and lightly squeezed. The desire they shared in that moment was not a sexual one but one to be as close to the other as physically possible.

Behind their heads, on the other side of the wall, the shower water started, signaling that one of the boys was up and already getting in the shower. At least someone was sticking to schedule, Andrea thought, proud but not yet ready to give up the serenity that came with being tangled up with Sharon early in the morning.

Sharon exhaled against her, a soft blow of air that tickled her skin. It was warm just like the rest of Sharon was – like she always was in the morning as a result of sleeping so close to Andrea – and Andrea's brain swam joyously as she was engulfed by the Sharon-warmth when her partner clung to her. It was exactly what she needed. The mornings that started with Sharon showing her affection were her favorite. She'd spent a long time craving this particular brand of intimacy, so she cherished every moment she received it, embraced Sharon and all the emotions she poured out when snuggling, kissing, and loving on Andrea.

"You're too good to me," Andrea whispered after a few peaceful minutes, rolling Sharon onto her back and looking into her face. Sharon's smile was soft and just for Andrea, her eyes tender in the gray morning light. Andrea's heart beat at a steady but quick rhythm as she ducked her head and rubbed their cheeks together, delighted by the simple touch of Sharon's skin against her own.

"Are you feeling any better?" Sharon asked quietly, sliding both of her hands underneath the back of Andrea's shirt. She gently stroked her way towards Andrea's ribcage and then let her hands rest there, a constant warmth and pressure.

Andrea nodded against Sharon and moved her mouth to the curve of the woman's neck. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing her skin lovingly. When Sharon hummed, full lips curled against her neck and another, longer kiss was placed there. "I hate mornings a lot less now that I wake up with you, you know. You make them better."

"Is that so?"

Andrea pressed a few more quick kisses to Sharon's neck and then lifted her head to look back at her face, staring into her eyes as her own adjusted to the minimal lighting after just having her eyes squeezed shut. "Absolutely," she said finally, with such power behind that one word that she was sure there was no way Sharon could possibly believe anything else. "Getting to spend these quiet moments here with you are the only part of the mornings I look forward to."

Sharon smiled another one of those soft just for Andrea smiles and brought a hand up to cup her cheek. "I'm happy I get to give you that after you've given me so much to look forward to in life," she whispered sweetly, thumb brushing across Andrea's cheek. She leaned up and pressed her lips to Andrea's and held them there, transferring love from her heart to Andrea's through the connection of their lips.

Andrea grinned against Sharon's mouth and enjoyed the moment for as long as she could before they needed to get up out of the bed and get dressed for the airport.

. . .

Rusty dragged himself to the kitchen, internally cursing Andrea and her paranoia regarding missing flights and forgetting necessary things. He wanted to be sleeping. He wanted to be wrapped in his covers, snoring away the morning until he absolutely had to get out of bed. Instead, Rusty was up before the sun after only getting a few hours of sleep. He was on summer break – didn't that mean he was supposed to, you know, _break_ , rest, sleep?

He groaned and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands, yawning widely a second later. The condo was dark, and quiet, too quiet since everyone was supposed to be awake and getting ready. Andrea's alarm had woken him up, so Rusty knew she had to have at least been awake long enough to turn it off. But there was no sign of her.

No sign of coffee, he thought with a displeased frown as he turned on a light switch and squinted his eyes as the bright light attacked him. If he could count on one thing in the morning since Andrea moved in three months ago, it was definitely that there would be coffee made or at least being made by the time he arrived in the kitchen. Sometimes Andrea was already working on her second cup of it when he joined her. So it was a bit shocking to find no signs of coffee or the grumpy-when-uncaffeinated woman he was used to starting his mornings with.

Being the sleep-deprived college student he was, he could make a decent pot of coffee with his eyes closed. Coffee was how he made it through life, and so he quickly got to work on starting a full pot.

. . .

Ricky woke up with a long groan, his body hating him for the way he slept on the sofa but his nose instantly catching the scent of fresh coffee and making him forget about sore neck muscles. He'd arrived after everyone had already fallen asleep, his trip down to Los Angeles taking longer than he had anticipated. He showered when he got in and then practically threw himself on the sofa, where he slept very little but well enough to last him until they got to the airport. They had a six hour flight that would give him plenty of time to catch up on his sleep.

With more effort than he thought it should take, Ricky pushed himself up to his feet and stretched his long limbs out. His gray sweats were thrown across the arm of the sofa, waiting for him to put them on. There was nothing he understood less than people who dressed up for flights. There was no way he was going to be stuck in a seat for hours and not be wearing something comfortable. He eyed the pants for a moment and then decided to pour him some of the coffee he could smell first.

While he was pouring the steaming coffee into a mug, he heard the sound of someone walking down the hall and looked over his shoulder. Expecting his mom, who usually started her days at an early hour, he was surprised to see Rusty instead. He looked exhausted, so Ricky handed him the coffee he had just poured with a look that said 'you need it more than I do' and retrieved a new mug.

"Thanks." He immediately drank down some of the hot liquid, his eyes shutting while he did so. "They're not up yet?" Rusty asked as he slid onto one of the bar stools.

Ricky took his coffee with him to the living room, breathing in the rich smell before shaking his head. He placed it down on the coffee table and got his sweats. "Doesn't look like it, but I just woke up."

"Seriously?" Rusty groaned.

Ricky laughed, sitting down on the couch, leaning over with his arms on his thighs as he held his coffee in front of him. "Mom made you get up early?"

"Andrea. She's super paranoid about not getting to the airport on time, and yet _she's_ still in bed."

Ricky was going to say something when he heard a loud laugh come from his mother's bedroom and his head shot up. The laugh was followed by an even louder noise that sounded like something hitting a wall, and his face paled.

"Please tell me-"

"They're sickening some mornings. Don't ask, don't think about it," Rusty mumbled, and Ricky followed orders.

The bedroom door opened, and Ricky was still staring in the general direction. Both Andrea and Sharon came out with bright smiles on their face, and Andrea had her hands wrapped around Sharon's middle and was barely allowing her to walk while saying something that he couldn't hear but made Sharon laugh quietly. And it would have been really sweet if, you know, it wasn't his mother who was blushing while her partner whispered into her ear.

Rusty cleared his throat purposely, and they both jumped a little and Andrea released Sharon. Andrea pressed a kiss to Sharon's cheek and then walked to the kitchen while his mother came over to him, wide smile on her face as he stood to hug her.

"When did you get here? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Hugging his mom reminded him of his childhood, of days where she fretted over him and combed her fingers through his hair to make sure it was just right before sending him off to school. She held him tight, and she lit up whenever she saw him. He'd been working on visiting more, calling or Skyping with her more often. He'd always known how much it meant to her, but Andrea had told him about how much his mother looked forward to these things and realized he didn't do it enough. Of course, he knew, it would never be enough for Sharon, who would love nothing more than to have the whole family under one roof for as long as possible, but he could give her more than he had been in the past.

"Did you eat something? Are you hungry?"

Ricky laughed, sitting back down on the couch after their embrace ended. "Mom, I'm fine." She raised her eyebrow a little, and he held up his coffee. "I just need coffee, and lots of it."

"See, he understands," Andrea said, coming into the room. She winked at him and then drank from her coffee.

He watched his mother roll her eyes as she walked around the coffee table and to the kitchen, saying something to Rusty as she went. Andrea watched her go, and Ricky studied the other woman silently until Andrea turned to face him. There was something very satisfying about watching Andrea look at his mother. Andrea's face gave away all her thoughts, and Ricky could see the love she had for his mother, the adoration in her eyes. He hadn't been surprised when he found out they had started dating the other year. He'd actually been surprised when he found out they hadn't been together much longer than they actually were. Andrea had been looking at his mother like this for as long as he could remember, but he never thought much about it until his mother told him and his sister that she was dating someone new. Ricky was happy to hear that it was Andrea – he liked her, and he liked how obviously happy he made his mother.

"She's been looking forward to this trip for a while. I'm glad you were able to figure out everything with your schedule."

Ricky nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, me too. It's your first family vacation with us," he pointed out, watching her face for a reaction. She only smiled brighter, wider, her eyes alight.

"Should be a fun one, too. I've been promised surfing lessons."

"Rusty?"

Andrea chuckled, shaking her head. "You mother."

"What now? Mom, you're teaching Andrea how to surf?"

Sharon tilted her head slightly while looking their way, standing beside Rusty. "What, do you think your mother is too old to surf?"

Ricky new a trap when he heard it and quickly shook his head. Not this time, he thought as he looked for a safe answer. "I just didn't think, uh - -" Ricky cleared his throat, "- - you still surfed," he finished lamely.

Andrea chuckled, and Rusty shook his head with a quiet laugh.

"I mean - -"

"I think you should just leave that statement as it was and get ready to get going."

"Probably a good idea," he agreed, standing.

. . .

Emily had been in Hawaii for a few hours already when she heard a car pulling into the driveway of the place they were renting for their vacation. She was already unpacked, showered, and was sitting poolside with a book. Her mother had called her when they landed, and now everyone was there.

She pushed herself up from her seat, taking her wrap with her and tying it around her hips as she walked through the sliding door and into the beautifully furnished rental. She hadn't seen any of them since Christmas, so it was with a little extra excitement than she normally visibly displayed that she made her way out of the door and to the car they were starting to exit.

"Emily, look at you," her mother was saying as she quickly got out from the passenger side, the door closing with a heavy thud as she rushed over to hug Emily.

"Hey, mom," she said as she met her part of the way, being engulfed by her mother's loving arms.

And the greetings continued between everyone else. Ricky shoved her and then pulled her into a hug. Rusty, who looked older than she remembered, gave her a side hug and then rushed off into the house with two big suitcases. Andrea complimented her glasses, recognizing the brand as one Sharon also liked, and then Emily pulled the older woman into a hug that was similar to the one she had given her mom.

They talked about their flights and unloaded the car, luggage and groceries, and they made plans to use the grill outside and just enjoy their first night on the island at the rental. Emily always felt a little less connected to the family since she was so far away from them. Ricky was a few hours away, and Rusty was still living with Sharon for the next few months. And now Andrea was in the condo as well. Living on the other side of the country meant not being able to see them as much, not spending the amount of time she would love being able to spend with her mother. But this vacation, she could already tell as she watched the rest of the group move around the rental, would bring them all together in a way she had been craving lately.

Andrea bumped her shoulder against Emily's, and Emily smiled at her. "Something on your mind?"

Emily looked from Andrea to her brothers and mother. Her heart felt pleasantly full and heavy in her chest. "I was just thinking about how nice it is to get to spend time with the family. It's been a long time since Christmas."

Andrea nodded her head in understanding. They spoke on the phone every now and then, and they often sent each other book recommendations when they found something they thought the other might like. So Emily was sure Andrea already knew how she was feeling.

"You've missed them, haven't you?"

"All of you," Emily said meaningfully, turning to look at Andrea properly. Because it was just her mother or Ricky or the second brother she'd been spending the last few years trying to get to know better that she missed. "I've missed the family, and that includes you."

Andrea smiled and wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulders. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. Emily knew Andrea was happy to be included, happy to be considered part of the family. Emily wrapped her arm around Andrea as well, hugging her back. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sharon watching them, and Emily smiled and turned her head a little to look at her mom. Her mother was also happy that Andrea was being included in their family, and that little bit of knowledge only made it mean that much more to Emily.

. . .

Sharon closed the sliding door and took quiet steps over to where Andrea was lounging outside, the night air cooler than earlier but still warm on her skin. When Andrea opened her eyes and smiled at her, Sharon leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "Are you getting tired?"

Andrea shook her head and reached up her hand so she could caress Sharon's cheek and pull her back down for another kiss. Her soft lips curved, and Sharon smiled into the kiss as well, humming a pleased sound as Andrea softly sucked on her lower lip.

"Sit with me for a little while," Andrea requested, caressing Sharon's face with the back of her hand.

Sharon nodded, and Andrea slid over to make room for Sharon beside her. Their arms crossed each other and their fingers laced together without thought. Andrea leaned her head against Sharon's and sighed softly. Sharon sighed in return, a warm sensation spreading throughout her body. She felt content, happy, and she felt loved. This was a good idea, the vacation, the location, and - - she squeezed Andrea's hand as she brought it up to her mouth to slowly brush her lips over Andrea's knuckles. Opening herself up to love, which led to her finding love and happiness and adding a new member to her family, was the best idea of them all.

The door opened behind them, but neither of them turned to see who it was.

"Mind if we join?"

And before Sharon could answer, all three of her children came into view and Andrea lifted her head to look at them. "Of course not. Come on over here and have a seat."

And it wasn't anything big, just an invitation for the kids to join them, but it was exactly what reminded her of all the reasons why the vacation had been so important to her. It wasn't about Hawaii, or time away from work. It was all of the people around her, the smiling faces and the shoving grown children and laughing woman whose head was resting on her shoulder now. It was her family, the family that Andrea not only accepted as her own but did small things for that she probably did without second thought. It was having them all together and enjoying each other's company, that's why all of this was important to her.

The End. Thanks for reading!


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